Are you interested in learning about robots? Want to experience programming on a new level? Learn to program LEGO robots; use an iPad to drive a Sphero; use colors to guide an Ozobot; and so much more!

Game Night @ CentralAtrium
Monday, December 5, 2016
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Table-top game lovers are invited to try a collection of over 120 classic and modern board, card and dice games for kids and adults. Rediscover such favorites as Scrabble, Chess, Monopoly and Uno, or try something new such as Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, King of Tokyo and Pandemic. Learning Curve staff and Mayfair Game Shepherds will be available to make recommendations and answer questions. Gamers under 12 should be accompanied by an adult.

Individuals of all ages are invited to enjoy a performance of chamber ensemble music featuring holiday classics and carols by members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. This program is made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.

Children ages 7 and up are invited to transform any drawing from normal to kawaii! Participants will bring in a drawing of any object or creature (a piece of toast, an elephant, a refrigerator) and turn it into a highly stylized cartoon in kawaii style. The session will include a discussion of what kawaii means and what illustration techniques are key to maintaining the kawaii animation style. This program is presented by Art With a Heart.
This program will be held in the Learning Curve.

As part of the Library’s celebration of Indiana’s bicentennial, families are invited to celebrate 200 years of statehood culminating on the anniversary date when Indiana became the 19th state in the Union. Festivities will include music, crafts, a book signing with Donna Griffin, author of “The Twelve Days of Christmas in Indiana,” a discussion by local author and historian Nelson Price about historical women, and 3D printing (1st floor Makerspace) activities presented by MakerNavigator, Inc.

Visit the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room on the 6th floor of Central Library for this series of historical presentations that relate to Indianapolis and central Indiana.
The title of this program is “Famous Hoosier Women: Historic and Contemporary Legends.” Author, historian and radio host Nelson Price will explore the lives of historic and contemporary notable Hoosier women. The presentation will include displays of photos, researched stories and personal accounts from interviews of famous Indiana women.

For three days in 1969, the Woodstock music festival made the small town of Bethel, New York, the center of the rock world. Thousands of people gathered in the name of peace to hear some of the biggest names in music. Two of those people are Michael and Cora, and this is how they met and spent those three days.

Michael drove from Massachusetts with his friend Evan, his girlfriend Amanda, and Amanda’s two friends. He’s not sure what to do with his life. Go to college? Join the military? He’s also not sure about his girlfriend Amanda. Sometimes it seems like she doesn’t even like him, so why is she with him at all?

Cora lives in Bethel on a farm. Her dad has nothing but disdain for the people coming to the festival. He is a veteran with great pride in his oldest son’s current service in Vietnam. He’s not as happy with Cora and her war protesting twin brother. Cora wants to be a nurse…no, she really wants to be a doctor, a lofty goal for a woman from a small town in those times. She works as a candy striper in the medical tent at the festival.

Michael takes some acid with bad results, so his friends take him to the medical tent where he is attended to by Cora. Michael doesn’t remember much about their first encounter, but soon realizes Cora is nothing like Amanda. Separated from his friends, Michael asks Cora to hang with him.

The festival allows to Michael and Cora to escape their worries for a bit: Cora’s strict father and her brother in Vietnam; Michael’s future and his issues with Amanda. Michael gets lost in the music and takes Cora with him. They run into famous people and share in the generosity of their fellow festival goers. Neither, of course, knows the mythical quality that Woodstock will one day represent to generations. But we do, so we can go along with them to feel just a little bit of what it could have been like for those three days of peace, love and music.

Canaan is a quiet city on an idyllic world, hemmed in by high walls, but every twelve years the town breaks out in a chaos of bloody violence, after which all the people undergo the Forgetting, in which they are left without any trace of memory of themselves, their families, or their lives–but somehow seventeen-year-old Nadia has never forgotten, and she is determined to find out what causes it and how to put a stop to the Forgetting forever.

Premise sounds interesting, right? I was immediately drawn to this book because I wanted to know why. Why did they forget? Why doesn’t Nadia forget? And so on and so on.

This story line kind of reminded me M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village’. My first thought was that Canaan was a government experiment. But it really is so much more than that. It was a great story to read and follow along as Nadia put together the pieces and solved the mystery of Canaan and the Forgetting.

Cameron’s writing style flows well as Nadia’s internal narrative. She encomapasses the emotions that Nadia wrangles with while still laying down the foundation of the Forgetting mystery. I was hooked by the characters’ forgotten pasts as well as the impending future of the next Forgetting cycle. As Nadia battles to solve the mystery before time runs out, we also jump back and forth to the past of the city and to the possible ramifications of the future.

This book is a great read for anyone that enjoys sci-fi, fantasy or a good mystery. Love the X Files and psychological thrillers? Add this book to your list!

This book snagged my attention early on because of three things: London, Victorian era and magic! It is the first in a series but I’m not sure how many books Cluess plans on writing. The story revolves around Henrietta Howell, an orphaned girl who discovers that she has sorcerer abilities. She’s taken to London to study under one of the great masters and be commended by the queen. England is under assault from the Ancients who were released into the world by magicians. All the sorcerers are trained to battle the ancients and Henrietta might be the prophesied ‘girl sorcerer’ who will save them all. No pressure, right?

I enjoy a good fantasy book and this one fits the bill. It doesn’t stray too far from typical magic good and evil traits but the characters are fun and the mystery surround Henrietta’s parentage and magical abilities keeps me interested to see what happens next in the series. Henrietta is a solid lead protagonist but the supporting characters intrigued me even more.

There is Rook, Henriatta’s long time friend from the school she grew up in. He was attacked by one of the Ancients and is considered ‘unclean’. Henrietta won’t part with him when she is taken to London and he is brought along for the ride. Their relationship is complicated and Rook undergoes a transformation in London that only adds more layers to their complications.

The newest members of Henrietta’s life are her fellow peers training as sorcerers. Since she is the first female sorcerer in a while, she is surrounded by young men. Two of these men stand out the most to her, Magnus and Blackwood. As you can imagine, complicated love triangles will ensue!

If you are a fan of fantasy and magic, give this new series a try. I found that it had enough action and mystery to keep me reading and I’ll be slightly impatiently waiting for the next installment in the series!

Justin, Gabe and Bobby have been making short horror movies for a while. When things fall apart on their most recent one, they decide to make an epic movie, one to stand among the best. They will make the greatest zombie movie ever. OK, so they have no money, no actors and only two months to do it (Gabe is leaving for the summer so they have to get done before the end of school). What could go wrong?

The first order of business is finding the perfect lead actress. Alicia is the best choice except for the fact that she is Justin’s major crush. She agrees to the part but wants to see the script. No problem she is told. They will show it to her on Monday. They have a whole weekend to write the script – they each can write a third. It is totally worth not sleeping and possibly failing a test to make the greatest zombie movie ever.

As you can imagine, further complications happen causing many compromises along the way. An obnoxious birthday party clown, Bobby’s crazy uncle, a male lead who has way to much chemistry with Alicia, an angry principal, broken equipment, a few injuries and one house destroying fire are not enough to make them stop the production. But Gabe begins to question whether they are really still trying to achieve their goal.

Three good friends and lots of humorous situations make for a quick, fun read.

]]>http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?feed=rss2&p=81060You only thought you were done reading dystopian!http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8102
http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8102#respondMon, 31 Oct 2016 14:24:41 +0000http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8102Continue reading You only thought you were done reading dystopian!→]]>A couple of books I am super excited to read are out or coming out very, very, very soon! Be sure to check them out!

“In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (‘gleaned’) by professional reapers (‘scythes‘). Two teens must compete with each other to become a scythe–a position neither of them wants. The one who becomes a scythe must kill the one who doesn’t”– Provided by publisher.

This book sounds amazing, and if you have never read Neal Shusterman before, you are in for a treat! Check out his Unwind series until you can get your hands on his latest, Scythe. You won’t be disappointed.

In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives “unwound” and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs–and, perhaps, save their own lives.

This book has it all! And then some! I can’t say enough good things about it. I promise it is a book and series that will stay with you for a long, long, long time. Maybe, forever.

The rules of Metaltown are simple: Work hard, keep your head down, and watch your back. You look out for number one, and no one knows that better than Ty. She’s been surviving on the factory line as long as she can remember. But now Ty has Colin. She’s no longer alone; it’s the two of them against the world. That’s something even a town this brutal can’t take away from her. Until it does. Lena’s future depends on her family’s factory, a beast that demands a ruthless master, and Lena is prepared to be as ruthless as it takes if it means finally proving herself to her father. But when a chance encounter with Colin, a dreamer despite his circumstances, exposes Lena to the consequences of her actions, she’ll risk everything to do what’s right. In Lena, Ty sees an heiress with a chip on her shoulder. Colin sees something more. In a world of disease and war, tragedy and betrayal, allies and enemies, all three of them must learn that challenging what they thought was true can change all the rules. An enthralling story of friendship and rebellion, Metaltown will have you believing in the power of hope.

If you haven’t read a book by Kristen Simmons, this would be an excellent time to try one. This books sounds awesome and early reviews are very positive. If you can’t get your hands on a copy yet, try one of her earlier books (see below).

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

Stolen from her home, and being groomed for auction, Aya is desperate to escape her fate and return to her family, but her only allies are a loyal wolf she’s raised from a pup and a strange mute boy who may be her best hope for freedom … if she can truly trust him.

I can see why Simmons’ book has been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, very similar in some aspects, but it also has a hint of The Hunger Games with all the hunting, surviving in the mountains/forest, and running from potential captors.

Aya has been on the run all her life. When she is suddenly captured, she is thrust into the world she had been trying to hide from. Renamed “Clover” in this new environment, she is suddenly made into someone she did not want to be, all in preparation to be sold to the highest bidder.

This standalone novel has hints of interesting technology with machines that can modify body shapes and lesson or remove scars, freckles, etc. At the same time, it seems like a very primitive world in many aspects. This is another book that will stick with you for a long time after you read it.

]]>http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?feed=rss2&p=81020The 2016 Teens’ Top Ten titles results are in!http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8090
http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8090#respondTue, 25 Oct 2016 16:47:39 +0000http://www.indypl.org/teenscene/?p=8090Continue reading The 2016 Teens’ Top Ten titles results are in!→]]>The Teens’ Top Ten Titles are young adult books that have been nominated by teens and then selected to win, by YOU! The ULTIMATE “Teen Choice” List. Find out more HERE!

Alive / by Chandler Baker.

After finally receiving a heart transplant, seventeen-year-old Stella throws herself into her new life, but her recovery is marred with strange side effects and hallucinations, and when she meets Levi Zin, a mysterious new boy at her Seattle prep school, Stella soon realizes that she and Levi have more in common than she could ever imagine.

“Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school–both teetering on the edge–it’s the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the “natural wonders” of the state of Indiana, and two teens’ desperate desire to heal and save one another” Provided by publisher.

In Seattle in 1937 two seventeen-year-olds, Henry, who is white, and Flora, who is African-American, become the unwitting pawns in a game played by two immortal figures, LoveandDeath, where they must choose each other at the end, or one of them will die.

“The story of a teenage girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more”– Provided by publisher.

“Consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off, a girl coping with Purely-Obsessional OCD learns to accept herself and take control of her life through her experiences in poetry club”– Provided by publisher.

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy where must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands.

“The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy, while their ship’s artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all”– Provided by publisher.

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Flynn cannot help but see the death date of everyone she meets or sees in a photograph or on-screen, and her alcoholic mother exploits this by having her do readings for money, butwhen Maddie predicts the death of a young boy, she becomes the center of an FBI investigation.

They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather’s shed, but June does not believe it was suicidebecause she and Delia used to be closer than anything, but one night a year ago, everything changed when they and June’s boyfriend Ryan let their good time get out of hand, and now, a year later, June owes it to Delia to know if her best friend committed suicide or was murdered.

Christian lives in rough part of Los Angeles. Even though he is a good student and gets accepted to college, he has not been able to avoid being involved with a gang. The gang takes care of his alcoholic dad’s debts as long as Christian fulfills his obligations: robbing banks with his crew. The crew (aka the Romero Robbers) stage hold ups and keep some of the money with the rest going to the gang leaders. Keep the jobs quick and small – get too ambitious and you get careless. That’s how you get caught. But now Christian’s boss wants a big job: breaking into a vault.

Lexi goes to an exclusive private school. She, her brother and their friends do extreme activities (like illegally BASE jumping from the top of an office building). Her life is pretty good until her father is arrested for a fraud scheme at the bank where he works. Her family’s accounts are frozen and the school kicks her and her brother out. Lexi is so angry that her father’s boss is probably also guilty but continues to live his luxurious life. She must find a way to take him down even if it means breaking into the bank to find incriminating evidence.

After a few chance encounters, Lexi and Christian have an attraction, but are suspicious of each other. Once they reveal their plans, they decide the best course is to team up to rob the bank – him to get money and her to get documents. They need each other, but they have different objectives that do not always mesh.

The story is involved, suspenseful and a fun exploration of a topic not often seen in teen books.

A giant asteroid is heading for earth. Southern California is the target, but the whole world will be impacted. The smartest minds are assembled in a NASA facility in Pasadena to solve the problem. With less than a month left, a young Russian physicist arrives to join the team. Yuri’s mathematical skills are unquestioned, but since he is only seventeen he is often not taken seriously by his fellow scientists. That is most unfortunate when Yuri knows he has the best solution to stop the asteroid.

One day Yuri decides to eat lunch outside and finds a pretty young woman named Dovie. Having spent most of his life focused on physics, Yuri is socially awkward and does not know how to interact with other people his age. In addition, Yuri has never been to the U.S. and does not understand the customs (or often the subtleties of the English language). Fortunately, the artsy Dovie takes a liking to Yuri and invites him to her house. Dovie’s hippie parents and wheelchair bound brother Lennon are welcoming but live a very different existence than Yuri’s.

With the world in peril, Yuri gets to spend time as a regular teenager while simultaneously trying to convince his colleagues that his unique knowledge holds the key to saving the planet. It’s possible his overzealous behavior will keep him from returning to Russia.

This is a nice blend of science and teenage uncertainty about their own future.